A noticeable dilemma in the Storage Area Network (SAN) industry is the disparity between the benefits of SAN technology and the complexity of SAN configuration, deployment and operation. The Information Technology (IT) departments that operate SANs are often hampered by complex SAN topologies and configurations—leading to increased management costs. Additionally, IT departments face challenges due to the scarcity of highly trained personnel as well as the need for rapid deployment of SANs. Additionally, the ongoing operation of a SAN is effected by IT environments that often experience human resources turnover due to industry wide competition. As a result, when an employee departs from an organization, that organization often loses an important source of technical knowledge.
An organization considering implementing a SAN faces a number of challenges. These challenges may include: designing the SAN, communicating the SAN design to interested parties, installing the SAN and managing changes to the SAN after installation. The first- and often the most complex-step for deploying a SAN is determining a proper design and configuration to meet a user's needs. The complexities associated with SANs often revolve around how a SAN is incorporated within a storage system, how the SAN works with individual storage components, and how to design the overall topology of the SAN. SANs are often designed with pencil and paper. For more complex SAN configurations, such a technique is inadequate, inviting errors and miscalculations. Further, users are often faced with the daunting task of determining which components are needed for a new or modified SAN and how to configure these components so they will work with existing components and cabling.
Once a SAN configuration has been determined, those requirements as well as the benefits of the proposed configuration typically need to be communicated to others. This communication is needed to ensure that the procurement, management and implementation of the SAN can proceed efficiently. However, this type of communication is frequently lacking, hindering the operation and ongoing management of the SAN.
The initial installation and deployment of a SAN is also often hindered by poor communication. This can lead to problems in verifying that all necessary elements have been received and that the elements of the SAN are correctly installed. The installation is further complicated by the common practice of having a separate group of professionals install the SAN. Yet another problem is that a deficient understanding of the configuration of the SAN often leads to extensive trouble shooting an reworking to solve problems that arrive during the ongoing operation of the SAN.